


Arm in Arm, Hand in Hand

by jtspz1347



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:54:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22137394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jtspz1347/pseuds/jtspz1347
Summary: The residents decide to have an arm-wrestling competition. Teddy makes the best mistake of her life by joining in. Oneshot.
Relationships: Teddy Altman/Cristina Yang
Comments: 6
Kudos: 70





	Arm in Arm, Hand in Hand

Teddy Altman was having an extraordinarily rough night.  
Currently, she was staring dejectedly into her cider, with one hand wrapped around it and the other idly swiping through Tinder. She had just spent the last hour with a man who was, for what it was worth, nice enough. He had dark, wavy hair and kind eyes, which was turning out to be her new type, to her surprise. The last few dates she had been on all looked about the same-- a man with dark hair, usually shorter than her, with sweet eyes and a mischievous smile. And yet, they all felt the same in another way as well, as if something was missing. She was left feeling bored, unfulfilled, and, for some strange reason, a little bit sadder each time than the time before.  
She took another sip of her cider, putting her phone down glumly. Maybe it was time to give up dating altogether.  
Her moping was interrupted by a peal of laughter from the opposite side of the bar, where the residents were currently challenging each other to an arm wrestling contest. Cristina had just beaten Meredith, who was tilting her head and pouting as Cristina's laughter continued. Cristina's smile was wicked, her head thrown back in drunken happiness. She smiled watching the scene-- it had been a while since she had seen Cristina this happy, truly happy. Avery and Karev were in the middle of their match, Cristina egging them on from over Avery's shoulder, when she saw Teddy. Her smile widened, half mischievousness and half genuine delight, and she beckoned Teddy over to them with an enthusiastic wave.  
Teddy, despite her better judgement, obliged.  
By the time she had walked over, Karev had almost won. To Teddy's surprise, Cristina slung her arm around her shoulder, leaning in close to be heard over the noise.  
"I bet Jackson takes the win this time," she said in Teddy's ear.  
Teddy tried to ignore the shiver that went down her spine, knowing that Cristina was drunk.  
"You think so?" she said, trying to focus on the game in front of her. Cristina smelled like sandalwood and tequila, and a bit of her hair was touching Teddy's cheek. She could feel Cristina looking up at her, and even without looking, she knew Cristina was smiling.  
She needed to think about something else. Anything else.  
She smacked the bar counter with her hand, startling the players. Karev, breaking his gaze away from Avery, raised his eyebrow at her.  
"Yeah? What do you want?"  
"I'll play the winner," Teddy said, staring at them instead of the drunken Cristina now laying her head on her shoulder. The drunken Cristina who then laughed, nudging Teddy a bit with her hip.  
"See? Altman's going to destroy you all."  
Avery, noticing Karev's lack of concentration, slammed his hand down onto the table before he could get back into the game. The two stared at each other, Avery grinning, until Karev gave a derisive snort and got up.  
"Whatever man, I'm gonna go get another beer. Mer, you want one?"  
The two of them moved farther away to get their drinks, but Cristina stayed, putting one hand lightly on Teddy's free arm as she offered her dominant hand to Avery. She would never admit it, but she found herself flexing in hopes that Cristina might notice, and that was a desire she was certainly not used to. At this point Teddy wasn't sure if the night was getting better or worse.  
She could tell Avery was strong, and his strength made her work a little more than expected, but he was no match for a soldier like her. She slammed his hand down triumphantly, and behind her Cristina let out a whoop of victory. The hand on her free arm tightened, and her whole body tensed in response.  
When Avery joined the others for another drink, Cristina sat down opposite of her, chewing on the straw of the rum and coke she had ordered before Teddy had walked over. She was grinning at her in a way that Teddy didn't quite understand, but she smiled back nervously.  
"You're strong," Cristina remarked. Teddy wasn't sure if she was asking, observing, or flirting. Maybe it was all three.  
"I am," she admitted, and Cristina's grin got wider. Teddy reached for her cider and took a sip, never taking her eyes off Cristina.  
"Do me next."  
Teddy nearly choked on her drink. "Excuse me?"  
"Me. Arm wrestle me." And with this, Cristina slammed her elbow down on the counter, ready.  
Teddy's face went red as she thought about touching Cristina's hand. They were strong hands, not delicate, as one usually thinks of surgeon's hands, but sharp. She had watched them day after day in surgery, as if they were dancing with the strings she used to put people back together.  
Perhaps there was a reason her type had changed after all.  
"Alright," she agreed, offering Cristina her hand.  
"1," Cristina said, her eyes looking up at Teddy, bright and a little vicious. "2," Teddy's muscles tensed as she readied herself.  
"3!"  
There was some struggle, but before either of them knew it Cristina's hand was on the counter, pinned by Teddy's. Cristina stared at their hands, mouth slightly agape, before turning to Teddy with something new in her eyes.  
"Oh," she said after a moment. "You're not just strong. You're very strong."  
She ran one of her fingers against the back of Teddy's hand, and Teddy almost let go. Cristina wouldn't let her, though.  
"One more round, Teddy?" The way she said Teddy sounded good on her lips.  
Teddy flushed and smiled, trying to pull her hand away. "It's late, Yang, and I need to rest--"  
"How about this?" Cristina said, placing her hand on top of Teddy's. "Let's make a bet. If I win, I get to do any surgery I want, solo."  
A bet it was, then.  
Teddy arched an eyebrow, and asked, "And what if I win?"  
Cristina didn't miss a beat, casually replying, "If you win, you get me."  
"You?"  
"Anyone would be lucky to have me. It's a win-win situation either way."  
"Have you, as in--" it dawned on her in that moment that Cristina was looking at her very intently. More specifically, at her lips, the way she had been staring at Cristina's. "Oh. I see."  
"Do we have a deal?" Cristina asked, leaning in closer than necessary.  
"Y-Cristina," she said, laughing nervously, "I don't think--"  
"Do we," Cristina said again, leaning in so close that Teddy could feel her breath on her neck, "have a deal?"  
It only took her a moment to break and say yes.  
"Excellent!" Cristina said, wrenching her hands from Teddy's suddenly. She put her elbow on the table again, and Teddy took a short moment before doing the same.  
"1, 2," Cristina paused then, and winked at her. "3!" And before Teddy could blink, her hand was on the counter, Cristina's face full of delight. She began to laugh.  
"I win! I want your ex-vivo heart transplant next week."  
Teddy stared at her hand, bewildered. "Did-- did you just hustle me? For surgery?"  
Cristina stopped laughing at this, tilting her head and smiling as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Well of course. We made a bet."  
Teddy's face was flushed again, but this time with embarrassment. She hadn't realized how much she had actually wanted Cristina until she thought Cristina might actually want her too. To her horror, she found herself fighting back tears, angry and humiliated all at once.  
"So, the, what you said? It was all fake?"  
And Cristina stopped again, this time with confusion and concern. "What?  
"What you said. You didn't mean it."  
Cristina laughed. "Oh," she said gently, standing to move closer to Teddy's chair. She placed her hand on Teddy's cheek, and when Teddy looked up at her, she kissed her, smiling. "I would have given you that all along. I just wanted the surgery first."  
Cristina pulled back from her, and Teddy's stunned face made her laugh again.  
"Come on," she said, kissing Teddy again and pulling her to her feet. "Let me make it up to you."  
Perhaps, Teddy thought, as Cristina pulled her towards the door and into the night air, she didn't mind having a new type. She didn't mind it a bit.


End file.
